Method for grinding toothed faced members

ABSTRACT

The present invention comprises provision for automatic, tapecontrolled, precision operation of a machine for grinding toothed face members, such as couplings and clutches, and of large size, wherein there will be a succession of different machine functions, including periodic dressing of a grinding wheel and rough cutting of the work throughout several passes in the rough grinding stage, followed by another dressing function, and then a float grinding stage and subsequently a finish grinding stage utilizing, a corrective index system for precisely intermittently indexing the workpiece through equal, predetermined angular distances.

United States Patent Clarke et al. Feb. 8, 1972 [54] METHOD FOR GRINDING TOOTHED 2,979,869 4/1961 .Birleson ..5 H327 UX FACED MEMBERS Primary Examiner-Harold D. Whitehead [72] Inventors. :fiZSCITSEIIIIIIIEQY Thomas A. Deprez, both Attorney cushman, Darby & Cushman [73] Assignee: The Gleason Works, Rochester, NY. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed; 1969 The present1 invention comprises provision for automatic, tape-control ed, precision operation of a machine for grinding [2]] Appl' 803683 toothed face members, such as couplings and clutches, and of 7 large size, wherein there will be a succession of different [52] US. Cl ..5l/325, 51/287 m chi functions, including periodic dressing of a grinding [51] Int. Cl t ..B24b l/00 wheel and rough cutting of the work throughout Several passes [58] Field of Search ..5 H287, 325, 327 in the rough grinding Stage followed by another dressing func v tion, and then a float grinding stage and subsequently a finish [56] References cued grinding stage utilizing a corrective index system for precisely UNYTED STATES PATENTS intiirrnittentlyd indixing til: workpiece through equal,

I pr e ermine angu ar 15 ces. 2,063,492 12/1936 DeLeeun ..5l/287 X 2,401,446 6/ 1948 Wildhaber ..5l/287 22 Claims, 34 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB e072 3.040.030 SHEET U30F 22 INVENTORS (/19/455 7. 6'1. A R/e5 ATTORNEYX PATENTED FEB 81972 131640.050 sum ouor 22 95 /0/ INVENTORS Cffi/WES F 62/4/716 wwwmg MW ATTORNEYS PATENTEDFEB 8l972 3.040.030

SHEET UBUF 22 BY WW/ZM ATTORNEYS PAYENTEU FEB 8 I972 SHEET 10 (1F 

1. A method for grinding teeth in workpieces and utilizing a grinding wheel, said method comprising the steps of: subjecting the grinding wheel to a dressing operation wherein grooves are formed in the cutting surfaces of the grinding wheel; subjecting a workpiece to rough grinding to form rough-cut tooth slots therein; again dressing the grinding wheel at the completion of the rough grinding; and thereafter finish grinding the teeth in the workpiece by successively providing a cutting motion between the tool and workpiece for each of said tooth slots, and providing for automatic variation in the cutting motion on a subsequent tooth slot if a previously finished tooth slot was not finish cut to a predetermined size.
 2. The method defined in claim 1 and further including a float grinding operation before the finish grinding to condition the grinding wheel for the finish grinding.
 3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein all of the steps therein are performed automatically.
 4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein the automatic operation is under tape control.
 5. The method defined in claim 3 wherein the workpiece is automatically indexed during both rough grinding and finish grinding, and wherein the indexing during finish grinding is more precise than during rough grinding.
 6. The method defined in claim 2 wherein the rough grinding is effected in several passes of the workpiece and further wherein the float grinding and finish grinding are each effected in one pass of the workpiece.
 7. The method defined in claim 6 wherein the grinding wheel is of cup-shaped configuration with cutting surfaces at the annular lip thereof, and wherein the dressing operation performed thereon before rough grinding of the workpiece is effected with rotary dresser wheels and an oscillating feeding motion between the dresser wheels and the grinding wheel to form the grooves on the cutting surfaces of the grinding wheel.
 8. The method defined in claim 7 wherein the grooves on the cutting surfaces are removed in the dressing operation before the float grinding.
 9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein the recited steps are performed automatically.
 10. The method defined in claim 2 wherein during finish grinding a measurement is taken of the size of a previously finish ground tooth slot, and further wherein there is provision for varying the amount of relative infeed between the grinding wheel and the workpiece for a subsequent tooth slot to be finished if the previously finished tooth slot is not of a preestablished size.
 11. The method defined in claim 10 wherein a gauging probe is utilized to take said measurement.
 12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein all of the recited steps are performed automatically.
 13. A method of forming teeth in a workpiece and utilizing a grinding wheel, said method comprising: subjecting the grinding wheel to a dressing operation; performing a rough grinding operation on a workpiece to form rough cut tooth slots therein; dressing the grinding wheel again at the completion of the rough grinding; finishing the roughed-out tooth slots bY successively providing a cutting motion between the tool and workpiece for each of said slots, and further providing for automatic variation in the cutting motion on a subsequent tooth slot if a previously finished cut tooth slot was not finish cut to a predetermined size.
 14. The method defined in claim 13 wherein a gauging probe is utilized to measure the size of a previously finished tooth slot and before finishing the next successive tooth slot.
 15. The method defined in claim 14 wherein all of the steps are performed automatically.
 16. The method defined in claim 14 and further including a float grinding operation after said rough grinding and before said finish grinding to condition the grinding wheel for finish grinding.
 17. The method defined in claim 16 wherein all of the steps are performed automatically.
 18. A method of forming teeth in a workpiece and utilizing a grinding wheel, said method comprising: subjecting the grinding wheel to a dressing operation; performing a rough grinding operation on a workpiece to form rough cut tooth slots therein; dressing the grinding wheel again at the completion of the rough grinding; finishing the roughed-out tooth slots in the workpiece by providing a relative infeeding motion between workpiece and grinding wheel so that the wheel enters into said slots a predetermined distance for the finish grinding operation; taking a measurement of the size of a previously finished tooth slot; and providing for varying the predetermined distance of relative infeed between workpiece and tool for a subsequent tooth slot to be finished if the previously finished tooth slot is not of a predetermined size.
 19. The method defined in claim 18 wherein a gauging probe is utilized to measure the size of a previously finished tooth slot and before finishing the next successive tooth slot.
 20. The method defined in claim 19 wherein all of the steps are performed automatically.
 21. The method defined in claim 19 and further including a float grinding operation after said rough grinding and before said finish grinding to condition the grinding wheel for finish grinding.
 22. The method defined in claim 21 wherein all of the steps are performed automatically. 